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Best Premium Coffee Brand 2026

By Readers' Choice On 6/17/26 at 12:00 PM EDT

Achieving the perfect morning brew starts with the beans in your pantry. From traditional supermarket staples that have fueled generations to ethical, small-batch roasters offering complex single-origin flavor profiles, grocery store shelves are packed with endless choices.

These outstanding brands make it simple to recreate an authentic, high-quality cafe experience at home, ensuring your first sip of the day is always robust and satisfying.

Newsweek is proud to recognize this year's 10 standout premium coffee brands—selected by our expert panelists and contributors and voted on by readers for their exceptional quality and distinctive excellence. Each has been officially recognized by Newsweek as one of the Best Premium Coffee Brands of 2026.

1. Klatch Coffee

Klatch Coffee

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Klatch Coffee is a family-founded, woman-owned specialty coffee roaster with more than 30 years of experience pursuing excellence at every stage of the coffee journey. Built on a commitment to quality, Klatch sources exceptional coffees through strong producer relationships and roasts each batch to highlight its peak flavor. Their award-winning coffees have earned recognition on some of the world's largest competition stages, while their cafés and online store remain focused on delivering exceptional coffee experiences and happiness, one cup at a time.

2. Death Wish Coffee Co.

DeathWish

Photo courtesy of Death Wish Coffee Co. Photo courtesy of Death Wish Coffee Co.

What began as a small operation packing orders in the basement of a coffee shop in Saratoga Springs, New York, has grown into the #1 Fair Trade and Organic coffee brand in the United States. Known for bold brews with intense flavor, serious strength, and unmistakable character, Death Wish Coffee Co. delivers high-caffeine coffee designed to fuel ambitious lifestyles. Their signature blends combine premium Arabica and Robusta beans to create a smooth yet powerful coffee experience that has earned a loyal following nationwide through retail and e-commerce channels.

3. Illy

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Hailing from Italy, Illy operates upscale, European-style espressamente cafes in premier metropolitan centers, airports and luxury hotels worldwide. They deliver a sophisticated, timeless Italian coffee service focused on precision and heritage. Their product lineup centers on their iconic, singular blend of 100% Arabica beans, served as flawless espresso, cappuccinos and macchiatos, alongside premium Italian pastries, light paninis and beautifully designed, collectible art cups.

4. Devoción Coffee

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With stunning, sunlit botanical cafes located throughout Brooklyn and Manhattan, New York, Devoción Coffee offers an unparalleled farm-to-table farm service. They fly raw beans directly from Colombia to their Brooklyn roastery weekly, roasting them within days of harvest. Their exceptional product lineup features ultra-fresh espresso, single-farm origin pour-overs and unique cascara teas, all paired with premium, locally baked pastries for a vibrant, authentic Colombian experience.

5. Kicking Horse Coffee

Kicking Horse Coffee

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Nestled in the Canadian Rockies of Invermere, British Columbia, Kicking Horse Coffee began in a small garage and has grown into a bold, adventurous brand distributed across North America. With a conviction to make a kickass cup of coffee, all 11 blends are Fairtrade and organic—reflecting their belief in doing right by farmers. Their lineup features rich, smoky whole-bean coffees like Kick Ass and Three Sisters, crafted for those who care about what's in their cup.

6. Peet's Coffee

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As a pioneer of the American craft coffee movement, Peet's Coffee boasts an extensive network of coffeebars across California, the Pacific Northwest, and major Eastern metro areas. They pride themselves on expert barista service and a commitment to meticulous, small-batch roasting. Their premium product line includes deeply roasted signature espresso, single-origin pour-overs, and cold brews, alongside fresh artisanal pastries and a curated selection of top-tier loose-leaf teas.

7. Jittery Joe's Coffee

Jittery Joe's Coffee

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Born in Athens, Georgia, Jittery Joe's Coffee operates energetic, eclectic cafes and drive-thrus throughout Georgia and the Southeast, particularly near university campuses. They provide a fun, laid-back southern hospitality experience. Their product lineup features fresh, small-batch roasted coffees served in iconic, collectible tins, including their famous Attack of the Killer Tomato blend, alongside customized espresso drinks, frappes, and a variety of fresh local pastries.

8. Sightglass Coffee

Sightglass

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Founded in San Francisco in 2009, Sightglass Coffee pairs industrial-chic cafes with a meticulous approach to craft. Named for the roaster's viewing window, they emphasize attention at every step—from direct relationships with global growers to carefully roasted, small-batch coffees. Guests can experience the process firsthand while enjoying single-origin offerings, signature blends like Owl's Howl, and thoughtfully prepared pastries and light fare—all rooted in precision and quality.

9. Stumptown Coffee Roasters

Stumptown

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Since roasting its first coffee in 1999, Stumptown Coffee has been dedicated to producing the highest-quality coffee from source to cup. Through its industry-leading Direct Trade sourcing model, established in 2002, the company builds long-term, collaborative relationships with small-scale coffee producers around the world. Its cafes showcase this commitment to quality while serving a lineup of whole bean coffees and Cold Brew offerings that are also available in restaurants, grocery stores nationwide, and online. With a focus on craftsmanship, transparency, and exceptional coffee experiences, Stumptown has become one of the most recognized names in specialty coffee.

10. Counter Culture Coffee

Counter Culture

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Centered on a commitment to quality, sustainability, education and transparency, Counter Culture Coffee goes beyond traditional retail with its network of regional Training Centers, where it offers professional barista education and public tastings. Its premium lineup features thoughtfully sourced, small-lot specialty coffees from exceptional producers around the world, roasted to highlight their full potential. Through initiatives like the Coffee Lover's Club subscription, customers can enjoy these distinctive coffees delivered directly to their door, reinforcing the brand's mission to create a positive impact on coffee's future.

FINALISTS Anodyne Coffee Roasting Co. Chamberlain Coffee Grounds & Hounds Coffee Co. Intelligentsia Coffee La Colombe Coffee Roasters Madcap Coffee Company Methodical Coffee Onyx Coffee Lab Partners Coffee Verve Coffee Roasters

About Newsweek Readers' Choice™ Awards

Our nominees are editorially driven with contributions from a panel of travel experts. The final list is determined by Newsweek editors. Readers can vote once per category, per day. For any questions, please see our FAQs or email us at readers.choice@newsweek.com.

Our Featured Panelists

Julie Bielenberg

Julie Bielenberg is a Colorado-based writer producing over 75 pieces a year for outlets such as AAA, Family Vacationist, Rachel Ray in Season, Spoke + Blossom, USA Today, Vail Daily and numerous others. She has been the State's #1 agritourism for ten consecutive years and is always in search of field, farm, forest and forage. Julie has three children and two pandemic pooches and is married to an avid outdoorsman. Follow her on Instagram.

Elizabeth Briskin

Lizzy Briskin

Lizzy Briskin is a New York City–based food, travel, wellness and lifestyle writer. Previously, she was the print food editor at Food Network and Real Simple magazines. She has a professional chef's degree from Cambridge School of Culinary Arts and a BA in English from Amherst College. She contributes to Wirecutter, Shape, People, Self, Bon Appetit, The Quality Edit, The Kitchn, Travel Weekly, and other outlets. When she's not cooking, eating, writing or traveling, she's training for her next marathon. Follow her on Instagram and at earthenfood.co.

Cynthia Drake

Cynthia J. Drake is an Austin-based travel writer for Cruise Critic, Travel + Leisure, Southern Living, Texas Monthly, and others. See her adventures at http://cynthiadrake.com.

Laurie Jo Miller Farr headshot

Laurie Jo Miller Farr

An award-winning contributor to luxury lifestyle and travel magazines, Laurie Jo Miller Farr specializes in deluxe hotels and destination marketing. Based in New York City, she is a dual U.S./U.K. citizen, having spent half a lifetime in London. Formerly serving as the tourism promotion director for the city's official tourism boards in both NYC and Boston, she recently relocated from San Francisco, where she edited a weekly travel newsletter and co-hosted a podcast. Follow her @lauriejmfarr.

Jacky Runice

When Jacky took her first flight at age 17 to Spain, she hadn't stepped a foot outside of Chicago. As a broadcast journalist for 20 years, she always managed to bring her travels back to her Chicago audience with radio documentaries about the culture and characters of places she visited. She transitioned to print journalism (syndicated travel column via Tribune Media Services and Travel Columnist for the Daily Herald Chicago) and then to the web where she has written for numerous outlets such as CBS, LuxuryHotels.com, Examiner.com, AOL, USA Today and others. Follow her on Facebook.

Jamie Davis Smith - headshot-Newsweek Fans Choice

Jamie Davis Smith

Jamie Davis Smith is a writer and attorney from Philadelphia who now calls Washington, D.C. home. She's traveled to more than 90 countries, often bringing her children along on her adventures. Her work can be found in The Washington Post, National Geographic, Travel + Leisure, Afar, The Huffington Post, USA Today and many other publications. Jamie can be contacted at byjamiesmith@gmail.com, and posts about her travels on Instagram.

Aly Walansky

Aly Walansky writes regularly about food news and trends. She has been a food journalist for over twenty years and has covered everything from budget shopping to recipes to culinary travel content for national publications that include the Food Network, Southern Living, Food & Wine, Travel & Leisure, The Kitchn and more. She was ranked among top 10 journalists of 2023 and top 10 freelance journalists in 2024, as well as #1 food journalist of 2022, by Muck Rack. Follow her at alywalansky.substack.com.

Nancy Zaffaro headshot

Nancy Zaffaro

Nancy Zaffaro is a writer, editor and photographer. She covers arts, culture, travel and the outdoors and also writes fiction. She is the Editor of ConfettiTravelCafe.com, and her work has appeared in print and online for numerous publications and media outlets. She travels locally throughout the Pacific Northwest, nationally and to far-flung international locales. When not traveling, she's active in her community and enjoys hiking, kayaking, yoga and spending time with friends and family. Originally from Chicago, she's also lived in Vancouver, British Columbia and Bellingham, Washington. She's currently based in Portland, Oregon.